Adjustable drinking fountain



Bec. 6, 1949 Filed Aug. 20, 1948 c. R. McccMicK ADJUS TABLE DR INKING FOUN TA IN 2 Sheets-Shet 1 Dec. 6, 1949 c. R. MccoRMlcK 2,490,699

ADJUS TABLE DR INK ING FOUNTAIN Filed Aug. 20, 1948 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 6, 1949 UNITI-:Dl STATES PATENT CFFICE V ADJUSTABLE DRINKING FOUNTAIN Cecil R. McCormick, Booneville, Ark.

Y Application August 20, 1948, Serial No. 45,392

4 Claims. l

This invention relates to drinking fountains of the type producing a jet of water which may be directly imbibed without using a cup or glass, and particularly to an adjustable drinking fountain of this type.

rlhe main object of my invention is to provide a drinking fountain as indicated which is adjustable in height within a wide range to accommodate children as well as adults in convenient manner.

VAnother objectl is to provide such a drinking fountain with a fountain head, manually-operable valve and drain basin which together form a unit capable of being readily elevated and lowered at will to convenient drinking position for any individual, whether large or small.

A further object is to have a drinking fountain wherein the fountain head, valve and basin unit is not only capable of being elevated and lowered, but remains in attained position until adjusted to another position.

An ancillary object is, of course, to provide a drinking fountain 'with compensating means eapable of counteracting the weight of the elevating unit thereof and accessible means for elevating and lowering the latter.

It is also an object of the invention to include refrigeration means for cooling the water delivered to the fountain or drinking head irrespective of the elevated or lowered position of the latter.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in further detail as the specification proceeds.

In order to facilitate ready comprehension of this invention for aproper appreciation of the salient features thereof, the invention is illustrated on the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of an adjustable drinking fountain made according to the invention and embodying the same in a practical form;

Figure 2 is a similar elevation with the lower portion thereof in section taken on line 2-2 in Figure 4;

Figure 3 is a similar section showing the fountain unit in lowered position in contrast with the raised position of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 in Figure 2;

Figure 5 is an enlarged vertical section of detail showing the lower end of the fountain head and guide means therefor;

Figure 6 is a vertical section taken on line 6 in Figure 4;

Figure 7 is a transverse section taken on line 'I-'I in Figure 2.

Throughout the views the same reference numerals indicate the same or like parts.

5 Drinking fountains are commonly found in schools, playgrounds and various public places, and as a rule they are rigidly fixed at an arbitrary height, and while serviceable for adults, are fre- 4quently either at an awkward height for or even m'beyond the reach of children. Of course, makeshifts have been resorted to in certain places, such as blocks or steps provided for children to climb up on, but such objectsare sometimes actual obstacles and may cause accidents, and are hardly gfcessible to all people of all ages, without the ne-A cessity of climbing up 0n any block or platform or performing any other exercise of contortion to reach the water, As a result, I have succeeded in producing a special type of fountain which fulgff'lls the foregoing objects and avoids the outlined disadvantages now to be particularly described.

Hence, in the practice lof my invention, and

referring again to the drawings, the drinking fountain, generally indicated at 8, primarily in- -cludes a casing 9 having a front wall Iil, a rear wall Il (Figure 2), side walls I2 and I3, a bottom or base I4, and a top wall I5. The front and rear walls, as well as' the side walls and the bottom I4,

may well be made integral or may be secured to each other in well known manner if made up of plates, and the top wall I5 may also be integral with the front, rear and side walls if so desired.

At the bottom a base plate I6 supporting a refrigerating unit Il of known construction is mounted 40 vupon the bottom wall Ill and water from a source of sup-ply may bev led to it through a pipe indicated at I8, while at one end the refrigerating unit Il has an outlet pipe I9 virtually terminating in the form of a nipple exteriorly of said unit Il.

Upon the base plate I6 is also mounted an outlet pipe '20 preferably connected to a sewer system (not shown).

In the upper wall AI5V is secured a depending sleeve 2l terminating substantially flush with the upper surface of the wall I5 and projecting a limited distance down through said wall, the latter having a downwardly-extending flange 22 to which the sleeve 2l is secured by welding, brazing or by other means. The mentioned sleeve serves as a central guide for a vertically-slidable pipe 23 which is open at the lower end so that two separate hose sections 24, 25 connected at their lower ends to nipple I9 and outlet pipe 20, Trespectively, extend up through pipe 23. Surmounting the latter pipe is what I prefer to term a fountain head, generally indicated at 26, including a valve casing 21 containing a valve 28 operated by the upper plunger 29, the casing 21 being connected to the upper end of the hose member 2d, while from the valve casing extends a jet member 3.9 from which water may issue into the basin 3l integral with the mentioned fountain head 25 and having the internal basin portionk 32 drained by a pipe 33 which Ais connected to the upper end of hose member 25 to drain off the water dropping into the basin 32. The mentioned fountain head or casing 26 is secured by a rivet or screw 34 to the upper end of pipe 23 4 end of the spring being anchored to the shaft which is rotatable in the casing, while the outer end of the spring is either attached to the respectively-associated ribbon 51 or the latter forms the outer continuation of the spring with the lower end secured to one of the lugs 56 of fork 55. The guide member 44 with its arms 56, 59 and fork 55 is preferably fixed in position upon pipe 23 by a screw 52 to prevent rotation thereof, and particularly rotation of the pipe 23 with respect .to the guide member. Normally, the springs within the spring boxes or casings 59 are Wound up so that they bias the ribbons 51 upand is provided fore and aft with projections l 35 serving as handles or nger pieces by which to manipulate the Whole to elevate or lower the same, as will be further explained.

A s best seen in Figures 5, 6 and 7, at the lower end of the sleeve 2 l, which is secured to the ange 22 in the upper wall I5 of casing 9, is secured by welding, brazing or by other means a spidershaped frame or cage 36 consisting of a plurality of radial arms .31 extending radially therefrom and terminating at the lower ends thereof in a ring .38, while above ring 38 is secured a reinforcing ring v3.9 by means of screws 4c, 4i). Within the ring 38 are secured a pair of pendent, opposite channel members 4I, 4| by means of screws s2, 42 which at their lower ends are preferably secured together by means of an arcuate 0.1 J1-Shaped yoke 43 in order to hold the channel members properly spaced apart. Cooperating with the channel members is a guide member 44 xed between a pair vof collars 45 and 4B adjacent to the lower end of pipe 23 previously mentioned Iand being secured thereto by screws 4l and 49 the lower end of the pipe being provided with an increased portion forming a wide I flange 49. The guide member 44 is thus virtually ring shaped to surround pipe 23 and has a pair of downwardly and outwardly-curved arms 50 59 extending with their .outer ends slidably into the channel members 4l, 4j already described, s0 that when pipe 23 .ismoved either upwardly or downwardly through sleeve 2l the guide members or arms 50, 59 of guide member 4d will sldably engage within the channel members 4l .and .thereby guide the lower end of pipe 23 in axial movement. In passing, it may be well to remark that in the lower end of pipe 23 within the wide flange` 49 thereof is secured a guide block .5I by means of screws 52, 52, the block having two vertical passages 53, 54 through which the hose members 24` or 25 specifically extend.

In addition to the two guide arms 59, 59 projecting from the ring-shaped guide member 44 is a .downwardly and forwardly-projecting fork 55 having the two divergent tlnesr or lugs 55, 55

to which are secured the lower ends of a pair.

, a phonograph spring .or vwell known clock spring for winding and Vunwlnding movement, the inner wardly and thereby tend to elevate the fork 55 and with it the pipe 23 and its superstructure including the fountain head 26 previously described. At the same time, the lower end 49 of pipe 23 is sufliciently heavy when taken together with the pipe and its superstructure to counterbalance the upward bias of the springs exerted through ribbons 51, 51 so that a light pull upon one 0f the handles 35 on the superstructure will readily cause the latter with its valve plunger 29, jet member 3B and basin structure 3l to rise with the assistance of the springs within the casings 59, 59, while rolling up the ribbons 51 within said casings with the springs so that. an elevated position such as shown in Figures 1 and 2 is readily attained. The influence of the springs is such that the :fountain head 26 remains in attained position whether this be the extreme elevated position or any intermediate position between that and the lowered position shown in Figure 3. When the fountain is to be used by a child, a light touch upon the handles 35 Will cause the fountain head 26 to be lowered tol the desired level, and due to the relatively delicate balance between the weight of the pipe 23 with its superstructure and the lower end thereof, and the springs within casings 5,9, 59, the fountain will remain in lowered position or any position whatsoever to which it has been shifted by hand when engaging the handle members 35 thereon, It is to be noted that in all positions the hose members 24 and 25 remain connected with the fountain superstructure 28 so that water is supplied through the jet member 3d and the excess drains. off through the basin .352 down through holes. 25 and outlet 29. When the refrigeration device l1 is properly adjusted and connected, it will, of course, serve to refrigerate the water being supplied upwardly through holes 24 to the jet member 39, so that cool water will be supplied. The Vfront wall I0 of the casing 9 has a removable plate 63 closing an opening in the front Ywall l0 through which access may be had to the interior working parts within casing 9, screws 64, ,64 serving to hold the plate 93 in place.

It is obvious that in principle any form of springs may be used in the spring boxes or casings 5 3, 59, and I am not limited to any one form thereof, while on the other hand, I may substitute pulleys and weights to `bias the ribbons 51 upwardly in such fashion as to tend to raise or elevate pipe 23 with its superstructure if so desired, the pulleys substituting for the spring boxes, or at least the springs therein, while the weights may be suspended upon ribbons or chains pendent from the pulleys and working in the interior space of casing 9.

Manifestly, variations may be resorted to and parts and features may be further modied or use d wit-hout others within the scope of the appended claims.

Having now fully described my invention, I claim:

1. An adjustable drinking fountain including a hollow casing forming a stand having a top provid with a rigid downwardly-directed sleeve, a pipe vertically slidable in the sleeve and having a fountain assembly unit surmounting the same above said top comprising a manually-operated valve, a jet member controlled by the valve and a drain basin disposed below the jet member, a flexible hose connected within the casing between a source of water supply and said valve through the vertical slidable pipe, a second flexible hose connected between said basin through said vertically-slidable pipe and a drain or sewer, and a counterbalancing means embodying a coil spring rotatably supported on said sleeve for winding and unwinding movement about a horizontal axis and having an end operatively connected to the lower end of said pipe effective to minimize the weight of said vertically-slidable pipe and the fountain assembly surmounting it and to maintain said pipe and fountain assembly in any attained lowered or elevated position.

2. An adjustable drinking fountain including a hollow casing forming a stand having a top provided with a rigid downwardly-directed sleeve, a pipe vertically slidable in the sleeve and having a fountain assembly unit surmounting the same above said top comprising a manually-operated valve, a jet member controlled by the valve and a drain basin disposed below the jet member, a flexible hose connected within the casing between a source of water supply and said valve through the vertical slidable pipe, a second flexible hose leading from the basin to a drain or sewer, a frame fixed upon the lower end of the sleeve within said casing, a pair of substantially parallel opposite channel guide members extending rigidly downward from the frame, a guide member mounted upon the lower portion of said vertically-slidable pipe within said casing, a pair of guide arms projecting rigidly in opposite directions from said guide member and terminating in guiding ends extending slidably into the channel guide members, a further member projecting rigidly from the guide member independently of the guide arms, at least one flexible elongated member fixed at the lower end thereof to the iurther member and extending upwardly to said frame, and counterbalancing means, a coil spring rotatably supported on said frame for winding and unwinding movement about a horizontal axis and connected to the flexible elongated member effective to minimize the weight of said verticallyslidable pipe and the fountain assembly surmounting it and to maintain said pipe and fountain assembly in any attained lowered or elevated position.

3. An adjustable drinking fountain including a hollow casing forming a stand having a top provided with a rigid downwardly-directed sleeve, a pipe vertically slidable in the sleeve and having a fountain assembly unit surrounding the same above said top comprising a manually-operated valve, a jet member controlled by the valve and a drain basin disposed below the jet member, a flexible hose connected within the casing between a source of water supply and said valve through the vertically-slidable pipe, a second exible hose leading from basin to a drain or sewer, a frame xed upon the lower end of the sleeve within said casing, a pair of substantially parallel opposite channel guide members extending rigidly downward from the frame, a guide member mounted upon the lower portion of said vertically-slidable pipe within said casing, a pair of guide arms projecting rigidly in opposite directions from said guide member and terminating in guiding ends extending slidably into the channel guide members, a further member projecting into the channel guide members, a further member projecting rigidly from the guide member independently of the guide arms, a pair of lugs upon the outer end of said further member, a pair of exible elongated members fixed at the lower ends thereof to the lugs upon the further member and extending upwardly to the frame, a pair of spring casings rigidly mounted upon said frame a coil spring rotatably supported in each of said spring casings and connected to the flexible elongated member adjacent thereto effective to minimize the weight of said vertically slidable pipe and fountain assembly surmounting it and to maintain said pipe and fountain assembly in any attained lowered or elevated position.

el.. An adjustable drinking fountain including a hollow casing forming a stand having a 'top provided with a rigid downwardly-directed sleeve, a pipe vertically slidable in the sleeve and having a fountain assembly unit surrounding the same above said top comprising a manually-operated valve, a jet member controlled by the valve and a drain basin disposed below the jet member, a exible hose connected within the casing between a source of water supply and said valve through the vertically-slidable pipe, a second flexible hose leading from. the basin to a drain or sewer, a plurality of radial arms secured at their inner ends to the lower end of said sleeve and rigidly carrying a ring at their outer ends, a pair of substantially parallel opposite channel guide members extending rigidly downward from within the ring, a guide member mounted upon the lower portion of the vertically-slidable pipe within the casing, a pair of guide arms projecting rigidly from said guide member and terminating in guide ends extending into slidable engagement with the channel guide members, a further arm or member projecting rigidly from the lower end of said vertically-slidable pipe independently of the guide arms upon said guide member, a pair of flexible ribbons fixed at the lower ends thereof to the further arm or member and extending up to the radial arms, a pair of spring casings rigidly mounted upon said radial arms, a coil spring rotatably supported in each of said spring casngs and connected to the flexible ribbon adjacent thereto effective to minimize the weight of said vertically-slidable pipe and the fountain assembly surmounting it and to maintain said pipe and fountain assembly in any attained lowered or elevated'position, and refrigerating means in the lower portion of said casing serving to cool the water supplied from the source to the hose leading to the jet member above said basin.

CECIL R. MCCORMICK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the I'lle of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Buelna Apr. 14, 1931 

